That Smile
by fowl68
Summary: he raised his glass in a silent toast of congratulations. At least they'd gotten their happy ending. One-sided SasuNaru Side GaaNaru


_**That Smile**_

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing. I think that might be a sign-I'm never gonna own it.

**Author's Note:** I just got home from my guitar concert. It didn't go as badly as it could've. We had some amazing solo artists go out and perform Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Guns n Roses and a bunch of other things. And just as a side note, I was listening to When Angels Fly Away by Cold when I was writing this. It makes the story read weird with the music.

-!-!-!-!

"_I was finally getting over you and actually believing I didn't need you. I was finally accepting you had another boy. Then you smiled at me and ruined it all." - Unknown_

-!-!-!-!

It had been longer than just a few years between them, harder than just difficult. They'd fought, and while Sasuke would never allow himself to admit it, they'd cried, lived and grown. It had taken him a second to recognize the blonde when he sat in the shadows of windows and roofs.

He'd grown and had they stood beside each other, Sasuke doubted that there would be even an inch difference in height. His hair was messier than ever, but it suited him. It blended well with the bronze skin and slender frame. There wasn't the awkwardness to his movements that there had been when they were kids. He walked with a certain fluidity now. Perhaps not the grace that say, Neji or Hinata had simply from the aristocratic blood through their veins, but he no longer looked like a bumbling kid.

This first time that Sasuke had seen him had brought some surprising (or not so much) news, although it took a little before the gossip reached his ears. He'd seen it firsthand. The redhead Gaara, the one that they'd fought against so many years ago and-so Sasuke had heard-had helped Konoha when he'd run from the village, had turned when Naruto ran up to him and grasped the pale hand, a smile that Sasuke couldn't remember ever seeing on the whiskered face.

Sasuke had tried; no one could say he hadn't. He'd tried to get over the blonde, had stayed away from the village. But it was impossible to keep away from it forever. He'd go back and see everyone, watch as the kid always near Kurenai and Shikamaru grew to be a toddler, saw him take his first shaky steps. He'd been there at Sakura's wedding, had raised a glass in a silent toast of congratulations. At least she'd gotten her happy ending.

It was a little after his twentieth birthday that he actually talked to Naruto again. He'd been comfortable at his spot atop the Hokage Rocks, one knee pulled against his chest, and the other stretched out. One arm was on top of his raised knee and the other behind him for balance. He could see why Naruto used to love this place so much. There was a certain serenity to it. Sasuke had been so relaxed there that he hadn't noticed the familiar chakra signature, hadn't noticed the gentle footsteps.

"…Teme." Was the soft greeting as Naruto sat beside him. There was a warmth to his voice that he couldn't recall hearing before.

"Dobe." Sasuke responded. "What're you doing up here?"

"I just kinda wanted to get away. But I'm glad I did. I never would've found you otherwise."

"I'm surprised you stopped looking."

"Well, I kinda figured that since you already completed your mission in life and didn't come back yet, that that's where you wanted to be. I figured you were happy that way, so I just stopped looking."

"Hn."

Naruto laughed "You haven't changed much, Sasuke."

And dammit, the grin on his best friend's-were they even that anymore? -whiskered face _hurt_. Not because the blonde smiled, but because Sasuke had spent so long making himself believe that he'd be okay without Naruto in life and right now, all those things that the Uchiha had told himself crumbled at the joy in the cerulean depths.

Sasuke couldn't make himself reply to the statement and chose to continue keeping his gaze on the village. Not that that helped much. That was the roof of the hospital where they'd fought, there was training grounds, that street was where they'd stalked Kakashi for the mask. Every little piece of the village told a story, its own novel of situations and relationships and right now, with the sun slowly sinking and the shadows lengthening, Sasuke could read them all.

"Ne, Sasuke….when you leave this time, are you coming back?" Sasuke found it interesting that Naruto knew he was leaving even with him saying nothing.

And even now, Sasuke couldn't force the words from his mouth. _No, I'm not coming back._

Naruto didn't need to hear the words. He just nodded as he stood back up. "Then good luck with your life." _And I'm sorry. Sorry I'm not enough to make you stay, sorry that you had a life like you did. Sorry I couldn't fix anything._


End file.
